A Long Way From Home
by Safire3
Summary: Elizabeth Washington is like Zenon in almost everyway, only she lives on Earth. When her parents send her to the Spay Stay because of her behavior, how will she survive? I SUCK at summaries!


Jessica Anderson looked around the grayish, peeling interior of Jacobey Mansion. Her best friend, Elizabeth Washington, had dragged her there to see if it was truly haunted, like the legend said. She looked back at her tall, strawberry blonde friend. "Liz, I don't think we should be here." Elizabeth turned to look at her. "We have to find my promise ring. I lost it in this room."  Aaron Sharp, her boyfriend of five months, had given her a small ring to put on her necklace.

"Ok, ok," Jessica said, rubbing her arms to keep warm. "Let's just find it and get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." Elizabeth sighed and looked around the dark room, spotting a shiny object in a far corner. She looked closer and smiled. "I found it!" She put it on her necklace and took a look around the room. There was a soft thumping coming from another room. Jessica stayed frozen. "What was that?" Elizabeth glanced over at her. "What was what?"

"Didn't you hear that thumping?"

"No. Maybe it was just a cat."

"I highly doubt it." The thumping continued.

"Now I hear it," Elizabeth said. "But I doubt it's anything to worry about." They turned around and began to walk toward the side door where they came in, when something grabbed Elizabeth's leg. She screamed and then sighed when she saw who it was. "Uh, hi, dad."

"Lizzy, didn't I tell you not to come in here?" He stared at her.

"Yes, yes you did."

"Seventeen years old and you still act like you're two! You too, Jessica." He followed them out of the mansion and sent Jessica home. He lectured Elizabeth all the way home and he and her mother sat her down in the living room.

"Elizabeth," her mother started. "How many times have we gone over this? This same talk is getting- no, it has **gotten** old. I was talking to your father this morning and we were thinking of sending you on a trip." Elizabeth's face lit up. "Really? Where and how long?" Mrs. Washington looked at her husband and frowned. "The whole school year, honey," her father said.

"Where am I going?"

"To your Aunt Valerie's."

"Aunt Valerie? Your sister?"

"You were only three when she left, so you don't know her all that well. But you used to love her." Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow. "Where does she live? New York?"

"Space," her parents said in unison. She turned pale. "**SPACE**?!!!" She screamed and stood up. "You cannot send me to **space**! I won't go!"

"Honey, it'll be good for you," her mother tried to calm her down." It's fun once you get used to it.

"Then why don't **you** go?" She ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door. That night, she cried herself to sleep.

*                  *                 *

" I cannot believe they're sending me away just because I didn't listen to them this **one** time." Elizabeth clutched her European History book to her chest as she walked to class with Jessica and Aaron. Jessica smiled. "**ONE** time? Try hundreds." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Look on the bright side," Aaron said, walking to his locker. "You'll have new turf to explore." Elizabeth nodded and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm gonna miss you, Liz." He kissed her forehead. She gave him a small smile. "I'm going to miss you too." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"When do you leave?" Jessica stepped into the classroom and turned to them.

"One day. One more day before Hell." Jessica looked as if she was about to cry and Aaron smirked. Elizabeth looked at him. "What are you so happy about?" He looked at her and shook his head. "Nothing." Melissa Jergens, Elizabeth's enemy from Texas, came sauntering over to them.

"Well, what's wrong with y'all?" She had a deep Texan accent. "You look as if Elizabeth here said she was leaving." She smiled to herself.

"She **is** leaving," Jessica sighed and took a seat.

"Really?" Melissa smiled and winked at Aaron. "Once she's gone, you're **mine**." She walked away and Elizabeth noticed Aaron staring at her retreating form. Elizabeth sat down and put her head in her hands.

*                       *                     *

The next day was a rainy Friday. The sky was gray, the trees rocked fiercely back and forth in the wind, and a parent resenting Elizabeth sat at lunch frowning over her sandwich.

"Liz, don't worry about it. You'll be fine. You'll leave and you'll come back in no time. It's no biggie." Jessica had been trying to make her feel better all day, but nothing was working. Elizabeth continued frowning and pushed her hair out of her face. She looked up and saw Aaron and Melissa laughing with a group of people she didn't talk to.

"Figures," she muttered. "I haven't even gotten off of the planet yet and she's already snagged him." She look at the ring on her necklace and closed her eyes.

"Hey, you two," Kevin Bailey, another one of her close friends, said, plopping his plate of pasta down on the table." Elizabeth gave him a big hug. "Hey, Kevy." He frowned at Jessica. "What happened?"

"Elizabeth's been sent to live on the space station by her parents." His eyes widened. "What? Since when?"

"Since two days ago," Elizabeth responded.

"How could you not tell me?" She held his hand and played with his fingers, avoiding eye contact with him. "I'm so sorry, Kev. I wanted to so badly, but I just…I just couldn't." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He hugged her and put his chin on top of her head. "It's ok. I understand." She fought the urge to cry. "I leave tonight at six. Which is completely unfair. It's ludicrous."

The rest of the day went by quickly and Elizabeth didn't talk to anyone. She walked home in the rain that afternoon and checked her suitcases. She took all of her gifts from her friends and her collectibles and packed them safely in a suitcase. She packed the brand new space outfits that her mother had bought her, her comb and brush, accessories and necessities, and her makeup.

"This is going to be a long trip," she said aloud. She fell back onto her bed and watched TV until her mother called her for them to leave.

*                       *                     *

"We'll miss you, honey," Mrs. Washington said, hugging Elizabeth at the shuttle gate. Her father hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Have fun, ok?" Elizabeth nodded. She turned and walked onto the shuttle. An hour later, she stepped off of the shuttle and prepared herself for the beginning of the end of her life.


End file.
